Swimming



F. PALMES. SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29,1919.

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Pafented Sept. 23, 1919.

mm mums, or EDDYSTONE, rEmIsYLvAm SWIMMING APPLIANCE I Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERMIN PaLMfis, a subject of the King of Spain, residing at Eddystone, county of Delaware, State of.

to the foot of a bather or swimmer to facili tate his progress through the water in the act of swimming and comprises a suitable body portion adapted to be secured to, the swimmers foot and having hinged side wings or blades which are adapted to swing toward each other when the swimmer brings his knees and feet toward his body and which are adapted to automatically move outwardly and extend in the same plane when the swimmer moves his knees and feet away from his body in the act of propelling himself'forwardly whereby the swimmer is enabled to propel himself forwardly through the water more rapidly and with less fatigue than heretofore.

T0 the above ends'my invention consists of a novel construction of appliances for swimmers adapted to be strapped or otherwise secured to the foot of the swimmer and comprising a suitable body portion and hinged spring actuated wings or blades carried thereby for the purpose stated.

For the purpose of illustrating my inven tion, I have shown in the accompanying drawin one form thereof which is at present pre erred by me, since the same will be found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a swimming appliance embodying my invention, showing the same as applied to the foot of the user.

Fig. 2 represents a bottom plan view of Fi 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Se t. 23, 1919 Application filed March 29, 1919. Serial No. 286,119.

appliance for facilitating swimlming, the same comprising a suitable central plate or body 2 havin the straps or fastening devices 3 attac ed to the" forward portion thereof, the same beingadapted to fit or be strapped over the wearers instep. 4 designates a suitable pocket or receptacle for the heel and ankle of the wearer, which is preferably formed by a strip of suitable material having its lower edge secured to the lefthand or curved end of the body 2 by the fastenings 5, said receptacle 4 being provided. with a flap 6 which fits snugly over the ankle of the wearer and is provided with fasteningdevices such as straps, buckles 2 can be secured in position upon. the wearers foot,fas.1seen,in Fig. 1. The body or base member 2: on its under side is provided at each edge with the longitudinally extendmg angular; recesses'j 8,vv in which the longitudinally. extending plates, blades or wings .9 are secured by means of the-hinges 10 or the like, there being preferably two pairs of said hinges 10 as will be understood from Fig. 2. The hinge members or leaves comprising the hinges .10 have knuckles which are pivotally secured together by pins which have the ends or arms 11 extending at a right angle or transversely to or upon the body 2, whiletheir, opposite ends 12 extend parallel to said' body and along the wings 9. As will be understood from Fig. 2, the function of said ends 11 and 12 is to exert a slight torsional action on the wings 9, so as to cause them to normally appear as seen in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 3.

The position the parts assume when the appliance is strapped to the foot of the wearer will be understood from Fig. 1. The position that the blades or wings 9 assume when the wearer is moving his knees or feet toward his body in the act of swimming will be understood from the dotted lines seen in Fig. 3.

When the swimmer is moving his knees or feet away from his body in the act of swimming so as to propel himself forwardly, it .will be understood that the plates or blades 9 assume the position seen in full lines in propel himself rapidly through the water Without undue fatigue and that the hinged wings when in osition upon the swimmers feet automatica ly assume the proper position.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction of a swimming appliance which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a referred embodiment thereof which will be ound in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device of the character described, comprising a central body portion formed in one piece and provided upon its lower side with longitudinal recesses, securing elements arranged above the central body and attached thereto and adapted to receive portions of the foot, wings having their inner edges adapted to enter the recesses when in the Lemme open position and to engage the walls of the recesses, said wings and the lower portion of the central body being arranged in substantlally the same plane, and three part leaf hinges serving to connect the wings and central body, each leaf hinge embodying an inner leaf arranged beneath the central body and extending transversely of the lower portion thereof throughout its entire width and attached thereto and provided at its ends with knuckles, outer leaves arranged beneath the wings and secured thereto and provided at their inner ends with knuckles to coact with the knuckles of the inner leaf, and pins extending through the sets of knuckles for pivotally connecting them, each pin having its ends extending outwardly beyond the knuckles, one end engaging the central body and the opposite endbeing bent upon itself to extend approximately longitudinally of the corresponding wing and to engage with the adjacent outer leaf, the last named end being capable of being bent laterally for adjusting the tension exerted by the 'pin.

FERMIN PALMES.

Witnesses 

